Bladehawk27

In response to post #50422267. More like E3 2014 4k UHD HDR 8K Ultra Mega Super Immersive Thumbnail Overhaul Compilation X.

Lots of great thoughts and opinions on the subject here. I especially value the input from modders, and I must applaud your strict prohibition on attacking mod authors who decide to monetize their products, Dark0ne. Nothing annoys me more than raging children, but that is, unfortunately, the perception created in the immediate, emotional wake of these Internet/gaming "gates." Modgate 2015, God help us all... To put it plainly, I support the idea of enabling people to support mod authors financially (beyond asking nicely for a donation, because 98% of people won't donate), but I disagree with Steam's FIRST iteration of this system. Some other thoughts that come to mind: 1) Skyrim is nearing, or may even be past, the end of its life cycle. Bethesda will either be announcing Fallout 4 or Elder Scrolls 6 soon, so at least some of our thought should shift to how Bethesda will plan to handle modding in their next big game. I can't help but assume that it will be a much stricter, more controlled, and more easily monetized system. It'll be easier to track and verify content, and if Bethesda limits us by only allowing us to create less complex mods, that means less potential issues, providing the quality assurance that must come with a paid product. By "less complex", I mean things like weapon/armor/location/UI/visual mods rather than mods that rely on scripts or changing core game mechanics, which can easily lead to instability and incompatibility. I think even the most hardcore modding fan admits that the system as it is now is somewhat haphazard and relies a great deal on the user being knowledgeable about the things he/she is doing to his/her game. That gives us great freedom with what we can do, but for the consumer, is that too much to ask? It is if you're going to start charging. Support won't just be requested, it'll be expected, and the all-too-familiar barrage of inane questions and infantile complaints will only be exacorbated with the cries of, "I PAID for this thing! FIX IT!" 2) As noted above, this is Valve's FIRST interation of a heretofore unseen system. Yes, you could always donate to your favorite mod author(s), but this is the first time a structured system is in place that utilizes a platform's digital currency ecosystem (Steam Wallet). Given the amount of backlash they've received, I think it'd be silly to believe they WON'T make any changes, though whether those changes are significant enough to ease the outrage remains to be seen. 3) Again, people are blaming Valve, and they are definitely guilty. But the entire tone of this thing seems to be Bethesda. They gave birth to the concept of DLC, and Valve certainly couldn't have done this to Skyrim without Bethesda's approval and cooperation. 75% going to Valve? I wouldn't be surprised if 50% were going to Bethesda.